The Tomten

It's a chilly winter night on the farm. Everyone is fast asleep. All but one ... On silent feet the Tomten visits the dreaming cows, the slumbering sheep and the children sleeping soundly in their beds. He whispers softly to each of them, making sure they are safe and warm.This classic picture book is a delight for young children, depicting the traditional Swedish character of the house elf, or tomten.The text was a commission by the German publishers who wanted to publish the picture book with a prose text instead of Viktor Rydberg’s poem that was included in the Swedish original publication.Wiberg’s lovely, full-color paintings convey the hushed atmosphere of night in the Swedish countryside and also the sweet charms of the Tomten. . . . The gentle story with its eye-filling scenes is an apt choice for a bedtime read-aloud.Publishers WeeklyA picture book of rare distinction.The Chicago Tribune